This morning I had my six month oncology visit. Blood work, perfect . CT scan, perfect. colonoscopy I had in April, perfect. He was estactic. He even said I could have my Port-a-cath removed as I don't need it any more.

Man, I'm feeling good.

Then I get the mail. In the mail, I received notice that during the colonoscopy, equipment available for my procedure was not sterilized properly. So I am susceptible for exposure to Hepatitis and HIV.

Dammit.Dave, let us know what the results are.Please document everything. Posting here, or in a journal, dictation, on a calendar…it doesn't matter.It's important that you do this for yourself and for others.You've been through so much, you will get through this too.You will be okay.

Well most likely (crossing fingers) they're just being very careful. Probably was sterilized, just not to their exact specifications. Doesn't have to be sterile - just disinfected. There IS a difference. There can be "bugs" there with little to no harm - just not infectious pathogens.

HIV is an enveloped virus - pretty easy to knock out with chemicals / heat. Hepatitis comes in 3-forms (A, B, & C)... but most are easily inactivated. ANY disinfection/ sterilization efforts would most likely render the instrument non-contagious even if it's not to their full specifications of sterility. Odds are very much in your favor there's no problem. The person before you would also have to be infected.

Don't know this for a fact, but I'd guess they know the status of the patients they perform colonoscopies and those instruments used with HIV+ and/ or Hep+ patients are rigidly cleaned and sterilized.Granted someone could be infected and blood tests be – ; BUT new tests now detect infections only 2 weeks old or earlier now. And those patients would have very low viral loads.Hope this helps ease your worries.

Pirate
Old And In The Way
Registered: 02/21/07
Posts: 3000
Loc: Missouri

I got a letter from the VA hospital about the same thing 3 years ago,seems their St. Louis and Poplar Bluff hospitals had a problem with the equipment not being cleaned as good as it could have been... ran some test, still after 3 years I still wonder, seeing how the same people with dirty equipment were the same people who ran the test

From what I read, the part of the instrumentation that was not sterilized wasn't even used.

I not too worried at all. Just kinda ironic.

Dave

You mean the drilling wasn't THAT deep ?

Good to hear !

Lol. Went today back there for blood test. They took four vials of blood. Has to go to state. Why four, I wonder?

I walked in the door of the hospital where they were all over me to help. In escorting me to the lab the rep was telling all that I could do to get information. Then in the lab, the tech was the same. Willing to do about anything. She was quick to get a nurse when I asked for them to access my port-a-cath instead of punching a hole in my arm.

Of course when I first walked in they asked how they could help like they do. I replied that I was there to find out ifi had HIV. They knew then that I joked a lot.

Also when I gave my name, several knew that my daughter who is a RN there. One even remembered my stay there and that I encouraged folks to get iPads. She admitted that she had done so and, like me, was addicted to it. Saying it was the best thing ever.

See. There is a silver lining.

_________________________
There are 10 kinds of people.Those that understand binary and those that don't.

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